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Role of post-translational modifications, O-GlcNAcylation and Phosphorylation, in neurodegenerative disorders and brain hypometabolism
Špundová, Tereza ; Růžička, Jiří (advisor) ; Čočková, Zuzana (referee)
Post-translational modifications are major mechanisms that highly increase the variability in protein function. O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation are among the most extensively studied post-translational modifications in research to date. In physiological conditions, O- GlcNAcylation acts as a metabolic sensor that links glucose metabolism to normal neuronal functioning. Reversible phosphorylation is one of the mechanisms that can downregulate metabolism by regulating the rates of flux through metabolic pathways. The impairments in the regulation of these modifications are linked to with neurodegenerative disorders and hypometabolism. This thesis focuses on the crosstalk and correlation between these two modifications, their reciprocal relationship and their mutual impact on their regulations in models of neurodegenerative diseases and disease non-related models. Keywords: hypometabolism, O-GlcNAcylation, phosphorylation, post- translational modifications, neurodegenerative disorders, hibernation, caloric restriction, memory, learning
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Tau protein, a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease: in vitro phosphorylation and tau-reactive antibodies characterization
Hromádková, Lenka ; Bílková, Zuzana (advisor) ; Fialová, Lenka (referee) ; Krejsek, Jan (referee)
Tau protein, a microtubule-associated protein localized in axonal projections of neurons, is a key molecule in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population. Tau belongs to the group of natively unfolded proteins without globular structure and is prone to numerous posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Under pathological conditions, abnormal PTMs and misfolding of tau protein occurs and leads to oligomerization and aggregation into paired helical filaments forming neurofibrillary tangles, the histopathological hallmark of AD. Currently available drugs applied in AD treatment can only slow the disease progression and those, which halt the AD-specific neurodegenerative processes, are still missing. Very promising and evolving therapeutic approach is immunotherapy, and even immunomodulation by administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) products, a reservoir of natural antibodies from the plasma of healthy donors, has been already tested. The discovery of naturally occurring antibodies directed to tau (nTau-Abs) in body fluids of both AD and healthy subjects and their presence in IVIG begin the investigation of their therapeutic potential. Considering a wide range of possible modifications of tau and of various tau species (oligomers,...
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Proteome analysis of anti-cancer drug effects and characterisation of drug resistance
Hrabáková, Rita ; Kovářová, Hana (advisor) ; Hernychová, Lenka (referee) ; Šulc, Miroslav (referee)
Despite significant progress in the development of anti-cancer drugs, there is still a need for novel therapeutic strategies that would improve the outcome of cancer patients. Using proteomic technologies and cell lines with different phenotype of p53 tumour suppressor, we monitored cancer cell response to anti-cancer treatment with focus on the development of drug resistance. The different levels of metabolic proteins were identified in our study which may help to explain different anti-cancer activity of drugs with only a subtle difference in structure. More importantly, proteins associated with the development of drug resistance were identified and such expression changes have become a focus of interest. Our findings demonstrate a higher protein level of serine hydroxymethyltransferase, serpin B5 and calretinin in cancer cells resistant to Aurora kinase inhibitors. Such proteins promote the tumour growth with no apparent impact of p53 phenotype whilst voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 2 contributes to the development of resistance only in cells with functional p53 which is accompanied by the decreased level of elongation factor 2. On the other hand, cancer cells with loss of p53 appear to amplify alternative mechanisms such as protection against oxidative stress. The results...
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Proteome analysis of anti-cancer drug effects and characterisation of drug resistance
Hrabáková, Rita
Despite significant progress in the development of anti-cancer drugs, there is still a need for novel therapeutic strategies that would improve the outcome of cancer patients. Using proteomic technologies and cell lines with different phenotype of p53 tumour suppressor, we monitored cancer cell response to anti-cancer treatment with focus on the development of drug resistance. The different levels of metabolic proteins were identified in our study which may help to explain different anti-cancer activity of drugs with only a subtle difference in structure. More importantly, proteins associated with the development of drug resistance were identified and such expression changes have become a focus of interest. Our findings demonstrate a higher protein level of serine hydroxymethyltransferase, serpin B5 and calretinin in cancer cells resistant to Aurora kinase inhibitors. Such proteins promote the tumour growth with no apparent impact of p53 phenotype whilst voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 2 contributes to the development of resistance only in cells with functional p53 which is accompanied by the decreased level of elongation factor 2. On the other hand, cancer cells with loss of p53 appear to amplify alternative mechanisms such as protection against oxidative stress. The results...
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